Casale Monferrato

Casale Monferrato is a town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. The city is located at the foot of the Montferrat hills, and it served as the capital of the Palaiologos from the 15th to 16th centuries, as well as the capital of the March of Montferrat and the Duchy of Montferrat. The House of Gonzaga would gain control of the town and build one of the largest and most important citadels in Europe; it withstood siege from France and Spain during the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was also a Sardinian defensive bulwark against the Austrian Empire during the Italian Unification era. In 2009, Casale Monferrato had a population of 36,058 people.